DESPITE his age and growing pains, 83-year-old Ganga Persaud, popularly known as ‘Uncle Bobby’, remains a vibrant agriculturist with a household name in the small farming community of Hague, on the West Coast of Demerara.

A rice farmer for almost all of his adult life, he refuses to entertain thoughts of retirement.

“I’ve been planting rice for over 60 years, and I’ve been a very successful and productive rice farmer,” he told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, as he reflected on his life.

He recalled that at the age of 23, he was introduced to rice production by his late mother who was also a farmer.

“I was 23, and my mom gave me two-and-a- half acres to plant for myself, and I did that with great zeal, and I was able to produce as much as I possibly could,” Persaud said.

After reaping the fruits of his labour, he quickly came to the realisation that being a rice farmer was not only a lucrative business, but one that was rewarding to him in so many other ways.

He took to the scientific aspect of rice production, which earned him lots of praise, and the title of an expert in the field.

“In 1996, myself and five other farmers were sent to India and the Philippines to look at what they are doing there, especially the Water Users Association. We spent seven days in India and seven days in the Philippines, and we were able to gather so much information. And when we came back, we had to write reports on what transpired, and how things went,” he recalled.

With the extensive knowledge gained during his research visits to the two countries, he was one of the farmers selected to plant experimental varieties of rice in Guyana. Many successful outcomes were subsequently recorded.
“I never gave up rice production for nothing else, because I loved producing paddy. And for that reason, I was chosen for research to do experimental crops,” he added.

NOT LIKE LONG AGO
These days, he said, there is a more laid-back approach to rice production.

Persaud told this publication that it’s not like long ago, when rice production was all about research and widespread field work.

“Research, you can’t go wrong, but in recent times, the rice research people have become cash-strapped, and they are not doing what they were doing before, because extension officers used to visit your home and speak to you, and discuss your crop. And that used to give me the sense of being a good farmer. My crops are always blooming; always looking good. It’s always at a level where you can’t go wrong, if this is a good crop,” he said.

Uncle Bobby believes that, collectively, the lack of groundwork, the effects of climate change, and the lack of principles have resulted in the decline of rice production in Guyana.

“We are at a point where farmers may not be able to continue under these conditions. It’s been three consecutive crops, where we have put in a crop in wet conditions,” he said, while referencing the devasting floods of 2021 and 2022.

“Under this condition, farmers are going to suffer fatigue, mentally and financially. Government will have to come in and help us, because, if they don’t, we will collapse,” he told this publication.

He noted that while many may think that rice production is only about planting a seed, it also requires a lot of research, field work, and good governance.

“Extension services have been very invaluable, because it used to keep us in line with the principles that govern rice production. I am of the understanding that if we do not maintain these very systems, the rice industry is going to fall apart,” Persaud said.

It is for this reason he has not yet retired.

He said that rice farmers are faced with many challenges, ranging from climate change to exploitation. This, Uncle Bobby said, makes him worry about the industry, and where it is heading.

MINE TODAY, YOURS TOMORROW
Despite the challenges in the industry, as a father of four, grandfather of six, and great-grandfather of five, he said he is content with the legacy he will be leaving behind.

Further, he said that he would always encourage his sons to work hard.

Unfortunately, his eldest son passed away before he was able to share more of his knowledge with him. His other son, Ray, oversees the production, while he remains by his side, providing valuable guidance.

“My son, he wanted to go to the United States a couple years back. I sat him down and I said, ‘Look, you going there to look work, but how fast you could get money?’” he said adding that he told his son that he had it (money) “right there”, and that he became a farmer and earned his own money.

He said he emphasised to him, “What’s mine today, is yours tomorrow.”

Uncle Bobby has always shared the advice he would have gotten from his parents with his children. This, he believes, has led to his family’s continued success.

“My mom left with me a legacy of hard work, and because of hard work, you get what you want. And she taught me one thing; not to lie, and when you get anything by honest means, it stays with you,” he said.

Outside of his family life and that of a rice farmer, he has held several positions: A community leader, a friend and a confidant to many.

“In life, I created an impact in different areas, and I’m always happy. Whatever was the outcome of my participation and the reaction, it gives you the satisfaction that you have been serving your God, and you have been serving man,” Uncle Bobby told this publication.